The Way We Weren't
by Mrs Turtle
Summary: A Young Iroh on a diplomatic mission runs into two men that could change his life forever.
1. Fires Foly

A/N: Another Iroh story, huzzah! Ok so this one can stand on its own, but it is part of my Avatar series, and takes place around the same time Torn and Lover's Wreck.

And I know it's really late, but this story is in honor of Mako (the actor, not the douche from Korra). Your voice, spirit, and entire being are sorely missed.

"So you think you can tell  
Heaven from Hell  
Blue skies from pain?"  
-Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here

* * *

A massive column of fire erupted from the newly converted training grounds. Iroh was sparring with anyone who dared to step into the ring; while most were wise enough to sit on the sidelines, someone was being dragged from the sparring ring.

Two young soldiers were commenting among themselves about the match. One said, "Prince Iroh's really going at it."

"Yeah, he's usually much more calm and collected." The other said, trying to steal the last of the duos fire-flakes.

"Oh, here comes Ping," The first said, grabbing the fire-flakes away from his companion, "Scrawny bastard doesn't stand a chance."

The thin young man stepped into the ring, and they both took attack stances. Iroh advanced first, throwing a fire whip at his opponent. Ping jumped back, barely avoiding the attack. Ping countered with a fire bomb. Iroh easily threw it back, and the challenger flew back at the explosion, and there was a crack as his head hit the ground.

All the spectators in the crowd flinched. The first of the spectators said, "There goes Ping. The Prince is rather brutal today."

"Even more so than yesterday." They both looked across the field as someone came to drag him off the field, "I'm surprised, Ping is usually so fierce."

As the spectators looked on, Iroh called out, "Do any of you have the fortitude to step into the arena with the crowned prince of Fire Nation?" No one moved. As Iroh took several calming breaths, off in the sidelines a young woman came to the side of the man he just bested. Ping pushed her away.

The young woman went unnoticed as a large bearded man finally stepped on to the platform, catching the eye of the prince. Iroh gave a mischievous smile.

"You've come to collect me, Denji?" Iroh asked. Both men bowed to each other.

"You didn't come all the way to the colonies to train, young prince.

* * *

"…and that's why we're here, gentlemen; to make sure tragedies like this don't happen again. We need structure…" General Denji's speech went on untiringly.

Iroh sat through the meeting, a small legion of politicians surrounding him. The general that was there to bring order in the Colonies finally concluded his long speech, and Iroh closed the meeting. As people stood to stretch and pack papers, the mayor of the new province came up to them.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Prince Iroh," The mayor bowed. He was a short sickly-looking man.

"Don't get too excited, Mayor Oda" Iroh said, respectfully bowing back, "I'm only here for a few days. I'm just dropping off General Denji to get things settled here in the Colonies," The large, bearded man on his right nodded at the mention of his name.

"I hope," the mayor said, looking at Denji, "The general does not still partake in the cactus-juice ritual…" The rest of the group chuckled quietly as the general pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I shall never live down my bachelor party," Denji sighed.

"Speaking of parties," Oda said, "we do have a get-together planned in the west wing. I hope you two will join us."

"After a long day of planning politics and quelling civil unrest," Iroh nodded, "You can count on it."

The three diplomats walked down the poorly decorated hall towards the west wing. At the end of the drab hall was a large set of double-doors. As soon as they opened for the trio, a wave of noise and light hit them. Inside was a large reception hall with lots of people, tables filled with food, and colored Fire Nation tapestries on the walls.

"Looks like the party got started without us," Denji said.

"But at least you have good food," Iroh said, "Those pastries look tempting."

"And there are a lot of pretty ladies in attendance," Denji said, surprised.

"They have been paid through the entire evening," Oda said artfully.

"That might not be such a good idea," Iroh said, looking cautiously around the great hall.

Oda nodded, "I heard about the incident in the Southern Province. All our ladies have been checked out. You have nothing to worry about."

"Alright," Iroh muttered as he and Denji grabbed a beer from a passing waiter, then they made their way to the buffet table while Oda greeted other guests. As they surveyed the food, a curvy young woman came over to the table, blocking their view.

"So," She said as she leaned forward, "how are you two liking the Colonies so far?"

"Well, um," Denji stuttered before catching his footing, "It seems like you have a well-rounded community here."

"Well rounded indeed," Iroh said, "Denji did you see that bar we passed on the way in, what was it called?"

"The Blue Iguana-Hound?" Denji suggested before taking a drink from his beer.

"That's a gay bar," She said cynically.

"I thought so," Iroh said, pulling on his beard, "Remind me to tell Piandao about it…how that boy struggles to come out of his shell."

"As he should, that boy is a disgrace," Denji said. Iroh frowned as Denji turned back to the young lady, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to invade these mountains."

Iroh watched as the General left with the young lady, and his hand went absentmindedly to stroking his beard as he looked around. There were a group of people with instruments passed out in the corner. Beyond that, the mayor was being coerced onto a table, and once steady, drained his mug. Oda then threw the mug at the band while yelling, "Play you drunkards, I want to dance."

The glass hit the drummer, who woke with a start. The lead singer looked up groggily, muttered "We really need to stop being paid in rice wine," then put his head back down.

As Iroh looked away from the mess, his eyes fell on a sultry young woman in a red dress walking in his direction. She came up to him and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Lee."

"Good for you, my dear," He said nonchalantly, taking a drink from his mug. Anger crossed her face, but she soon regained composure.

"It must be lonely for you here, dear prince," Lee said enticingly.

"Lonely is as lonely does," He said and started to walk away. Without warning, she blocked his path and gave him a hard kiss while reaching her hand down his pants. "What are you doing, woman?"

"Carving my place in history," She smiled seductively.

"Girl, your place in history is but a footnote to what I am destined to accomplish," He said harshly as she stood there, dumbfounded. He walked away, saying under his breath, "I need some air."

Iroh left the party and made his way outside. As soon as he stepped out from the front doors it started raining.

"Perfect," Iroh sighed as he looked at the dark clouds overhead. The Prince started walking anyways, and he was soon on the outskirts of town. On the end of a narrow street he noticed a small dive-bar. He looked down at his muddy shoes and said, "Curse you, feet, for always leading me to such places."

He shuffled down the dark street, dodging puddles, debating whether or not to he wanted to venture in. As he reached the building, two older gentlemen came stumbling out. One had graying hair and many frown lines, the other was markedly older and had white hair that looked to escape his head in every direction. The younger of the two slurred rather loudly, "Why do I still accompany you to such places?"

The elder chuckled, "The White Lotus is full of mysteries."

As they staggered down the steps Iroh watched them, and soon the older of the pair noticed him.

"Who is this?" The elderly man asked curiously.

Iroh made a small fire with his palm to show his face, "I mean you no harm, old-timer."

"Such a nice young man," He chuckled.

"That's the Prince of the Fire Nation, you twit," the younger man said.

"Ignore him," The older man said to Iroh, "his girlfriend shot his polar-bear dog and then left him for his cousin."

"Not everyone needs to know that!" the younger exclaimed.

"Yeah, and what are you gonna do about it?" The elder laughed, "you're so drunk I bet the young prince could take you."

"Pah," the younger of the duo scoffed, "doubtful."

"I don't mean to brag," Iroh said, "but I've been an elite fire bender since I learned to walk."

"Which was what," the younger of the duo derided, "a month ago?"

"Excuse me?" Iroh said.

"You heard me," He said, barely audible through the drizzle.

"You're lucky I don't fight drunkards, old man," Iroh said as he walked passed them to enter the bar.

"Look at him, he has the walk of a heartbroken puppy," He then sneered towards Iroh, "I bet she left you for a real man."

"Or maybe his cousin!" the older man laughed and stepped to the side as Iroh stepped back into the road.

"Not now!" The aggressor snapped at his companion.

"Interesting last words," Iroh said through clenched teeth before taking an offensive stance.

"Clearly I've struck a nerve," The aggressor said playfully, "I bet you were just her plaything," He taunted while he took a defensive stance.

Without a word, Iroh kicked to create an arc of fire, then leaped forward as the aggressor moved back. Iroh lunged at the older man, creating daggers of fire in each hand in mid-air. Again, the stranger managed to avoid the flames. Iroh landed a column of fire rose from the ground which the older man easily dodged.

Iroh paused, panting, while the stranger jeered, "Your bending is so predictable, all you do is push." The older man raised his hands, palms up, in front of him then elevated them over his head. He then pulled his hands towards his chest, and a wall of muddy water washed from behind Iroh and dragged him to the ground, "Pulling is equally important."

"You forgot doing nothing," The older gentleman said from the sidelines, "You always forget neutral jing, Pakku."

"That's almost as useless as retreating," Pakku said as Iroh tried to lift himself up.

"A fourth possibility," The older man laughed. He shuffled towards the street and held out his hand towards Iroh, who grabbed it with reluctance.

Pakku snorted angrily, "Bumi, you're crazy."

Bumi just laughed again, then said to Iroh, "That was a plucky fight, young man. If my companion here didn't get us kicked out of every bar in town I'd buy you a drink."

"You were the one propositioning every woman we've come across!" Pakku raised his voice.

"Because you need to get laid!" Bumi snapped at Pakku.

"I do not need your help with that!" Pakku yelled back, then stomped off.

"Good riddance," Iroh muttered.

"Forget him," Bumi said as they watched Pakku disappear around a corner, "He's just an angry old man. You should come back to my hotel room, I have some particularly good spiced rum I'd like to crack open."

"Free rum, you say?" Iroh thought for a moment, "What's in it for you?"

"I'd like to know why the Crowned Prince of the Fire Nation is single at this age."


	2. History Repeating

A/N: Chapter two! And don't mind the hookers, they like to sneak their way into my stories.

"Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."-The Man in Black

* * *

"…and she has a child already." Iroh hung his head.

"Well," Bumi slurred, "If she didn't want the responsibilities that go with being the Fire Lord's wife, you need to respect that."

"I know, I know," Iroh muttered, "I just…it hurts. I feel like a failure."

"I know rejection hurts," Bumi said as he refilled both their glasses with rum, "But life hurts sometimes. It grabs you by the nay-nays and reminds you that you're alive!"

A bewildered look passed Iroh's face, and he looked over at Bumi to make sure what he just heard wasn't the rum. The old man just grinned, then continued, "You know, this reminds me of one of my past conquests. I loved a woman as hot as the sun, as cunning as a wolf tiger, and as slippery as an elephant koi."

"Can I ask what happened?" Iroh asked as he took a sip of rum.

"She died…" Bumi said nonchalantly.

"Oh," Iroh said, looking into his drink. "I'm sorry."

"Well, she was older than me." Bumi paused while he drained his drink, then said cheerily, "Which just proves you're never too old to start again! Look at me, I'm 76 and on the prowl."

"Then why are you traveling with that jackass?" Iroh asked bitterly.

"Now that you mention it, he's probably gotten himself into trouble," Bumi said, staggering to his feet, "I better go get him."

"I should come with you," Iroh said, getting up.

"Why?" Bumi raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want you Earth Bending into a tree." Iroh smiled.

"Oh, right." Bumi laughed, then started for the door, "Let's go, I know exactly where to find him."

"Where would that be?" Iroh asked.

"Where men like him go when they have a broken heart," Bumi grinned as they lurched into the street, "The cheapest brothel in town."

"Broken heart?" Iroh questioned, "And he was harassing me?"

"Like I said," Bumi shrugged, "He's an angry, bitter old man."

Once they arrived at the nearest brothel, Bumi barged through the door and went straight to the empty front desk. Bumi rang the desk-bell continuously until a disheveled woman came out from behind the curtain. Despite Bumi's behavior, she smiled warmly.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"Hello," Bumi said, "I'm looking for my friend...yay high, unapologetic scowl, wreaks of cheap booze."

She palmed her face and sighed, "Him. Get him out of here before another one of my girls quits. Last time I saw him, he was upstairs, third door on the left." She disappeared behind the curtain again as the duo headed upstairs.

When they reached their destination, Bumi lifted his leg to kick the door in, but Iroh stopped him.

"Wait," Iroh said, "how do we know this is the right room? We don't want to go barging in, he might have left."

"Quick lesson in neutral jing, young man," Bumi said, reluctantly lowering his leg. "Close your eyes and listen."

"Now?" Iroh asked, and Bumi nodded. Iroh took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. "I hear hookers at work," Iroh said as he opened his eyes again.

"Close enough. Now look down the hall," They both looked up and down the hallway. "What do you see?"

"All the quiet rooms have their door open…?" Iroh said, unsure.

"Great observation. What about this one?" Bumi said as he pointed to the closed door in front of them.

"It's…" Iroh leaned towards the door, "it's quiet too."

"Exactly." Bumi said as he kicked down the door. "Pakku! Get your tiny dick out of that poor woman!"

The young woman quickly covered herself and ran out of the room, scared. Pakku reached for his pants and bellowed, "I don't believe you!" As he pulled his pants on, he noticed Iroh, "And why is he here?"

"He's our new apprentice," Bumi said.

"What?" Iroh and Pakku asked at the same time.

"You old fool," Pakku had a vein bulging in his head as he walked up to Bumi, "This is all the proof I need that you've finally cracked."

"That maybe so, but that doesn't change the fact that we're helping him," Bumi said as he threw a shirt at Pakku, "How you stay warm with a concave ass is beyond me."

"High blood pressure, from dealing with you!" Pakku said, pulling on his shirt. "I refuse to help anyone from the Fire Nation."

"Why don't we get some rum in you," Bumi said, "Looks like you need something other than cheap beer."

"Smells like you've had enough," Pakku said, wrinkling his nose, "You stink like rum and burnt sanity."

Bumi sniffed at his shirt, "Nope, no sanity here…"

* * *

Late the next morning Iroh slipped out of his hotel room. He saw Mayor Oda yelling at the girl behind the counter.

"…don't know? What do you mean, don't know? He is your Prince now, you better damn well know where he is!" Oda pounded his fist on the desk, and the poor girl flinched-neither of the men noticed as she did so her hand instinctively went to her small stomach.

"Don't hurt yourself, Oda" Iroh said walking up.

"Oh, there you are," Oda said, straightening up. "I was not aware of how many Earth Nationers were lordless peasants!"

"And I was not aware how many of my subjects were so very respectful to our gracious hosts." Iroh gave a huge smile, and the smaller man shrunk where he stood.

"I, I was hoping you would join me for an early lunch," Oda said nervously.

"I'm sorry," Iroh said, trying to feign regret, "I have a previous engagement."

"Oh," Oda's face fell, "how about dinner tonight? General Denji and I need to discuss certain policies with you."

"Maybe tonight," Iroh sighed. Oda bowed and left as Iroh leaned on the counter. "Sorry about him."

She averted her eyes, her hand still on her stomach, and asked as politely as she could, "Do you need anything, sir?"

Iroh looked her up and down. Light brown hair pulled back in a bun, good features, but short for an Earth Nation native. "Your name, maybe?"

"Zhi…" She said quietly. He smiled.

"Well, Zhi, if anyone else comes calling for the prince, you can tell them I've gone out to train and I will be gone all day." He tried his best to smile in his hung-over state.

Her face brightened, and she smiled as she nodded. He nodded back and left. Soon he was at a familiar, cheaper inn. Bumi and Pakku were waiting for him outside.

"We have a campsite picked out," Bumi said, then stuck out a basket, "I hope you like jenamite, I packed lots for our picnic."

"Remind me why I'm doing this?" Iroh said

"You get to punch him in the face," Bumi stuck his thumb at Pakku.

"If he could land the punch," Pakku scoffed before starting down the road. "Let's go before I sober up."

Once they were out well of the city they cut a path through the woods, and walked further until they reached a small clearing. Bumi set down his basket and turned to Iroh.

"Alright, the first thing you need to know is how important your jing is." Bumi said, thumbing his nose.

"You mentioned jing last night. What is it?" Iroh asked.

"Jing is energy. There are 85 different types of jing, but we'll focus on the three most important ones for now." Bumi said as he used his earth bending to make a large fighting ring.

"I'm not even 30, I've got plenty of energy." Iroh said.

"Not that kind of energy, idiot," Pakku said, "this is linked to the way you fight."

"He does use positive jing quite effectively." Bumi said, then turned to Iroh, "Do you meditate?"

"I've tried," Iroh said, "I can't seem to focus."

"That's because you're constipated." Bumi stated. Pakku laughed while Iroh turned red. Bumi continued, "Emotionally, I can tell. Don't worry, emotional constipation is actually quite a common problem."

"Hold on," Pakku said as he started to rummage through Bumi's basket, "I brought along something that might actually help with that."

"I thought you brought that moonshine for yourself," Bumi said as Pakku pulled out a large bottle of clear liquid.

"No more drinking," Iroh said, "I'm still hungover from last night."

"Trust me," Pakku said, "This is no ordinary moonshine. It's guaranteed to get you to the spirit world in style."

"Will I get back here in one piece?" Iroh asked.

"It's his 'Spirit Juice'," Bumi said as Pakku took drank straight from the bottle. "He started drinking after his woman ditched him and hasn't stopped. He is never fully sober, and that makes him a master."

"I thought that made him a drunk," Iroh said, eyeing Pakku.

"Scoff," Pakku said, passing the bottle to Bumi,"I still handed your ass to you last night."

"Fair enough," Iroh sighed as Bumi took a swig. He then passed the bottle to Iroh, who asked, "Straight?"

"That's the way a man does it," Pakku said as he nodded. A mouthful was more than enough for the prince.

"How do you drink that?" Iroh gasped through clinched teeth, "It's so strong."

"Practice doesn't hurt," Pakku said, taking the bottle back. "Let it do its job."

"Feel relaxed yet?" Bumi asked, "If your movement and jie are hindered, your fighting becomes rigid and predictable."

"Drink more," Pakku handed the bottle back to Iroh.

"Only you people," Iroh took the bottle and drank, "Is liver damage common in your culture?"

Pakku sighed, "You must learn to flow from jing to jing, like the moonshine flows from the bottle. Drink until you're relaxed, then we'll start."

* * *

Later than evening, Iroh stumbled through the door of his hotel with a split lip and the half-empty bottle of moonshine. He lurched up to the empty front desk and leaned on it heavily.

"Anybody here?" He yelled, "Hey!"

Zhi shot up from under the desk, clutching her stomach, and gave a slight bow, "I'm sorry."

"Oh it's you," He smiled, then asked "You alright? You look a little flush."

She nodded and bowed again before saying, "Mayor Oda came back looking for you, maybe an hour ago."

"Yeah?" Iroh mused, taking a swig from the bottle, "What did that war-mongering plunger want?"

"He said he wanted you to meet him for dinner at the Velvet Sash, down the street."

"I forgot about dinner." Iroh sighed, still leaning on the desk. "Do you have any good news for me?"

"You have mail." She disappeared under the desk again and brought up a single letter. He held it close to his face.

"I have had way too much to drink." He groaned, then handed the letter back to her. "Does that say Avatar Kyoshi?"

"No sir," She laughed, "It says Jeong Jeong."

"So I didn't get a letter from a beautiful woman?" He sighed. "At least I got another one to laugh."


	3. Anger

A/N: I got the info for the pai sho game online, now I want to play it with somebody…

"Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before-it takes something from him."-Luis L'amour

* * *

"Signed Iroh?" Zhi asked from behind the counter, quill in hand.

"Dictated by Iroh!" Iroh said, still in a slight stupor. "I can't believe he wants leave active duty to go into teaching."

"You don't think he'd make a good teacher?" She asked as she sealed the letter.

"Heavens forbid he has any female students, he'd knock them up!" He exaggerated. She looked down, and he added quickly, "No, he's just always had itchy feet."

"Maybe he's decided to settle down," Zhi suggested.

"Maybe," Iroh said contemplatively, "My friend has been through a lot recently. The poor bastard is more heartsick than I am."

"It seems to be going around," She replied, a distant look settling in her eyes.

"Not you too," He straightened up. She regained her composure in time to be interrupted by an exasperated young woman.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," The interloper gasped, making her way behind the desk.

As Zhi filled in her shift replacement, Iroh stumbled upstairs. After he got to his room, he went over to the sink. Warming the water with bending, he thought about the day's events. Pakku had beaten him again in sparring, but he learned a lot about his own fighting style and how do use his defense properly. Even with all he was learning, Iroh couldn't help feeling like he was betraying his country by learning from outsiders.

"Wash it away," He sighed, pouring the water over his face. He changed into robes for dinner and made his way downstairs.

He passed the new girl sorting papers at the front desk and sighed before he went outside. As he walked down the street, a commotion in the nearby alley caught his attention. He looked down the alley in time to see a familiar young man punch the wall next to a young woman.

"Dumb bitch! Think I wouldn't find out?" He raised his hand and brought it across her cheek. It wasn't until the hand came down that Iroh noticed the woman was Zhi. Iroh moved without thinking, and as he got closer he recognized his opponent from the ring, Ping.

The stranger saw the commotion and turned in time to avoid a punch to the face, and countered with a fist of fire. Iroh kicked the man's fist up, sending the stream of fire into the sky, then quickly closed the gap and chopped him in the throat. Ping fell to his knees while grabbing at his throat.

While Ping was kneeling, Zhi promptly kicked him in the side, "You were luckier the first time."

"Looks like Iroh remains undefeated," Iroh said, then turned to Zhi, took her hand, and led her out of the alley.

* * *

"It is a problem," Mayor Oda said. He and General Denji sat at a back table at The Velvet Sash, waiting for Iroh. "I don't want to admit it, but it is."

"What are we going to do?" Denji asked as the waitress poured them more tea. "I don't want to outright ban it, but my soldiers are going to the medics for VD more than for anything else."

"Well," Oda said quietly, "there is a difference between an escort and a…you know…" He trailed off as he sipped at his tea.

"Is the Prince coming?" Denji asked, "I'm getting hungry."

As if on cue, Iroh barged through the door. The Prince looked around slowly before he noticed the duo in the corner, then proceeded over to the back table. Denji and Oda stood and bowed to the prince, then Oda spoke.

"Thank you for coming, Prince Iroh, we have a pressing issue to discuss." He gestured for Iroh to sit.

"I bet we're here because you want to talk about hookers…" Iroh said, watching Oda and Denji stiffen, then gave a lazy smile. The earlier adrenaline rush had flushed most of the alcohol from his system.

"Um," Oda muttered as he and Denji glanced uneasily at each other, "Why don't we order some sake?"

Iroh groaned, "I think we should stick to tea. So, does anyone have a suggestion to our little 'problem'?"

"Well," Denji said, as the waitress poured their tea, "We've been having a lot of complaints about it in neighborhoods, our people don't feel comfortable going out at night anymore."

"And disease is running rampant," Oda chimed in, and Denji nodded.

"I understand," Iroh said, pulling on his beard. "Why don't we regulate it to brothels? That way it will be taxable, we can set guidelines to who they hire, and we can set rules to make sure they're healthy. I'm sure you two can work out the details; I'm not even sure you needed me here for this."

"Well," Denji said, glancing at Oda, "It doesn't hurt to have the crowned prince backing you."

"I'm sure," Iroh said, cynicism lacing his voice. "Now I'm sure you two can get the paperwork started on that right away."

"But…" Oda trailed off as Iroh stood.

"I have another meeting early in the morning." Iroh said as he gave a quick bow, and left.

Iroh wandered down the street, wondering if he was spreading himself too thin on his short trip. His walk brought him to a row of shops. He paused for a moment in front of one; it had gold lettering that read "The Silk Phoenix". He inched his way inside, and a middle-aged woman at the counter nodded at him as he entered.

"Are you shopping for a friend, honey?" She smiled at him.

"I take it you don't get many male customers," He briefly smiled back as he gazed at a corner containing embroidered fabrics.

"Few as handsome as you," She winked, then she asked, "What is it you're looking for?"

"Well, you see, there's this young lady," He said, scratching the back of his head, "She dropped by unexpectedly, and…"

"And you wish to make a good impression?" She said in an understanding tone.

"Something like that," He gave a dry smile.

"Well," She said, making her way to a case full of hair accessories, "You could try a nice hair clip."

Iroh bent in closer to inspect the case. It held everything from butterfly clips to ornamental chopsticks to fancy combs. One piece in particular caught his eye; it was a scarlet comb with a gold-plated dragon wrapping around the top.

"I like that one," Iroh said, pointing to the comb.

"Excellent choice, she must be a very special lady," She said, opening up the case.

"She deserves to be spoiled," Iroh said as she handed him the comb. He turned it over in his hands, admiring it. "It's perfect."

"I'll wrap it up for you," She closed the case and took the comb. Iroh watched her deftly wrap it in simple brown paper. "Do you want anything else, honey?"

"Do you sell soap? I don't want her smelling like," He searched for the words, "well, me…"

"I understand," She said lightly. The shopkeeper placed the parcel next to the register and led Iroh to another counter loaded with soaps and lotions. "What would you like her smelling like?"

"I've always been partial to more natural smells," He said, "Nothing too perfumy."

"Might I suggest this?" She picked up a bar in white paper and held it under his nose. It had an earthy smell, with a hint of mint and lavender.

"What is that?" Iroh almost whispered, "It's almost heartbreaking."

"The scent comes from the White Dragon bush," She said as she put it with the comb, "It's a miracle plant; it also makes an amazing tea."

"I'll take it." He tried to smile again, but worry passed over his face. "Can I ask a weird question? I don't have any female family members I can talk about this with."

"Go for it," She smiled at him warmly.

"My friend is, um," He hesitated for a moment, unsure, "with child. What would you suggest to make her more comfortable?"

"Food." She said simply.

"She says she's not hungry."

"I was never hungry when I was pregnant," She said as she placed both items in a small basket. "I remember when I was with my first child, my husband and I went out to eat with some friends. I thought I wasn't hungry, so I didn't order anything, but when my poor husband's plate got to the table I devoured half of it."

"Good to know," Iroh said. "Any suggestions?"

"In the next square, the street vendor makes excellent dumplings."

"Thanks for the advice," He smiled, paid, and left.

Iroh made it to the end of the street, the smell of dumplings enticing him the whole way. He looked around the square and noticed only one vendor. Iroh made his way up to the young man working the cart.

"Do I smell fire flakes?" Iroh said, raising an eyebrow.

"The best in all the colonies," The vendor replied. "And you're in luck, I'm about to close up. If you buy the rest of my stuff I can give you a great deal."

Iroh regret saying yes once his arms were full of fire flakes, rice, and dumplings-he made a mental note to put in extra training time the next day.

As he made his way out of the square, he passed a row of outdoor tables. Two old men were engrossed in a game of Pai Sho, a small group of children surrounded them; Iroh was compelled to stop.

As he shuffled to the table, hands full of food, he commented, "I have never seen children so fascinated with a board game."

"Pai Sho is more than just a game," One of the old men sounded as his partner moved a Knotweed piece closer into his territory. The first man countered by placing a Rock piece next to it.

"You can't put that there!" The second man said, "Knotweed counters anything next to it…"

"You can't burn rock," One of the children chimed in.

"I beg to differ," the first man said, "But the point of the Rock is it cannot be moved. It has the time and patience to make things happen."

The second man shook his head as he moved another piece, then looked at the Iroh for consolation, "Still don't think he can't put that there! What do you think?"

Iroh shifted on his toes. "I think it's a valid move." He then tried to stall, "Are any of you hungry? The vendor had extra rice."

The children gathered around Iroh as he passed out two small containers of rice and dumplings. Over the chorus of thank you from the children, Iroh heard the first man yell Pai Sho.

"I call a rematch!" The second man said as a less burdened Iroh finally headed towards his hotel.

When Iroh got back to his room, he found Zhi where he had left her, asleep on his bed.


	4. Patience

A/N: And chapter four. This is the last full chapter, even though it's a little shorter than the others.

"You will listen now! My Master Yoshi's first rule was: Possess the right thinking. Only then can one receive the gifts of strength, knowledge, and peace."-Master Splinter

* * *

Zhi woke up to the sound of footsteps, the smell of dumplings, and the feel of a plush bed. A slight panic rose in her chest when she realized she wasn't in her own room, but then the memory of the alley and the Prince's promise of safety pushed through her alarm, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Through the darkness she saw Iroh at the desk across the room, his broad shoulders moving across the desk as he set down a few small parcels. He then took an empty glass from the edge of the desk and moved to the sink to fill it. She quietly sat up.

"The Prince of the Fire Nation should have warm tea while on a cold night," She said, getting up.

"That would be nice," He said quietly as he finally lit two candles on the desk, "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to speak much before I had to go, I brought you some food to make up for it."

"Thank you," She said, lifting the lid of a nearby teapot. "Sit down, where do you keep your tea?"

"No, no, you're my guest," He said as he pulled out the room's only chair for her. She slowly sat as he riffled through his tea. "Do you like ginger? I heard it's excellent for pregnant women."

She let out a small breath, but remained silent.

"The truth cannot be hidden for long," He said, filling the small pot with water.

"I've been finding that out the hard way today," She said, raising her hand to her bruised cheek. She watched him put the tea in the diffuser, then cup his hands around the bottom of the pot. The spout began to steam. "That is a useful trick."

"One of many," He smiled, "Eat, before I have to warm up the food too."

"I recognize this merchant," She said, picking up the bag of dumplings, "Best vendor in town."

"He practically threw the food at me before he kicked me off his corner," He said as he poured two cups.

"His dumplings are wonderful but the fire flakes gave me heartburn. Are they really that popular in the Fire Nation?" She asked, and he pulled the bag of Fire Flakes towards him.

"It's an acquired taste." He smirked as he dug into the bag.

"Like being a single mother?" She sighed, and Iroh stopped digging.

"Do you have any family that can help?"

"No. I moved out here on my own years ago." She picked at the rice with her chopsticks.

"That was rather ambitious," Iroh said, finally starting to eat.

"I wanted to study medicine. My father said it was foolish, he wanted me to stay at home and marry a farmboy." She put her head in her hands.

"He wasn't enthralled to have a motivated young woman moving away from home?" Iroh said, reaching for the untouched basket on the table, "I don't blame him."

He set the basket from The Silk Phoenix next to her, and she drew it into her lap. She pulled out the soap first and held it to her nose.

"You didn't have to get this for me." She smiled.

"That's not the point," He grabbed a handful of Fire Flakes from the bag, "There's something else in there too."

Her eyes went wide as she unwrapped the intricately decorated comb, staring at it as if her future hung in the balance.

"I can't accept this," She said softly.

"I know it's flashy, but don't think you owe me anything."

"You have no idea what this means, do you?" She was still starring at the comb.

"It means I'm being nice to you?" Iroh asked in confusion.

"I can't do this," She said, getting up and walking to the bed, comb in hand.

"I can tell you're still stressed out. Can we talk?" He asked as she curled up on the bed. She said nothing. Iroh took a deep breath, "Alright…You stay here. I will leave you with your thoughts."

Iroh left and went for a long walk. He made his way back to the square where the pai sho game was played, although now both of the old men were gone. In their place was a teenager with dreads, a joint poking out of the corner of his mouth.

"If you're going to smoke," Iroh said, coming up to the teen, "do it like a man."

"What do you know, old man?" One brave teen chimed in. Iroh grabbed the joint from the teens hand and took a long drag. As the he jumped up and postured, Iroh responded.

"I know how to relax and enjoy a good smoke," Iroh said.

"Hey," a kid popped out from a doorway, "You gave us food earlier."

"You know this jerk, brother?" The teen asked.

"Yeah," The boy smiled, "He's nice."

Iroh took a long drag before handing the joint back to the teen, "Relax, you'll live longer."

"Who wants to live longer?" The teen scoffed.

"How can you say that in front of your brother?" Iroh asked.

The teen turned to the boy, "You like living on the streets?"

"Yeah," The boy said, shifting where he stood. "You take good care of me."

"Sometimes," Iroh said, "There's more to life than what you're making of it right now."

"Yeah but I don't want the culture of the streets to get to him," The teen flopped down on a bench.

"It's not just a culture, it's a reality." Iroh said, and the teen just shook his head and took another hit. "Reality is what you make of it."

"Reality is what you make of it," The boy echoed.

"Do you play pai sho?" Iroh asked as he smiled at the boy.

* * *

The next morning Iroh was still playing. As the sun rose, he left the game and made his way to the clearing in the woods. Bumi and Pakku were waiting for him.

"Good morning sunshine," Pakku said sarcastically.

"Sunshine?" Bumi turned around to look out at the horizon, "You're always so sentimental."

"And you're just mental," Pakku scoffed while cradling another bottle.

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea," Iroh said, rubbing his face. "I'm exhausted."

"You can sleep when you're dead," Pakku said. "Sit. We'll be dealing with meditation techniques today."

Iroh let out a long groan as he sat. He copied the lotus position from Bumi, who sat across from him. Pakku sat to the side, nursing his drink.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," Iroh stated plainly.

"I'm telling you," Bumi said, shaking his head, "You're emotionally constipated. Meditation is about finding inner calm, finding your own neutral jing."

"I have so many things on my mind," Iroh grated.

"Let it go." Bumi said, "Expectations lead to disappointment."

"You're not even curious as to what's bothering the man?" Pakku asked.

"You are?" Iroh countered.

"You're not still worried about that bar wench back home?" Pakku asked disdainfully.

"No," Iroh hung his head, "It seems my female problems have traveled with me."

"I see," Bumi said, rubbing his chin, "A stalker…"

"What?" Iroh picked his head back up, "No, no, someone here. I've been trying to help, but it seems to be causing more grief."

"Women can be picky," Bumi said, nodding his head in understanding, "You didn't get her something cheap, did you?"

"No! I gave her this nice gold comb, and she shuts down." Iroh sighed, "Are all Earth Kingdom women that moody when they're pregnant?"

"That is serious," Bumi said, "Do you love her?"

"I…" Iroh paused in thought, "I don't know. She's pretty, she works hard, she seems motivated."

"Glad you like her," Bumi said, "Because you proposed to her."

"That," Iroh faltered, trying to think, "That is the strangest tradition I've ever heard of. And it still doesn't explain why she was upset."

"Even you aren't that dense," Pakku said, "I know there's no way you could've knocked her up in the short time you've been here."

"Point taken," Iroh said quietly, "I'm just…"

"Unsure of yourself," Pakku suggested.

"My guard is still up," Iroh said.

"As it will be for the rest of your life," Pakku said, taking a drink.

"You hang around brothels!" Iroh said, exasperated.

"Just because I was cruelly wronged by the woman I love doesn't mean I can't find loose women," Pakku scoffed.

"Or possibly a new love," Iroh said, and Pakku glared at him.

"I will never love again," Pakku said as he got up.

As the older man hit the tree line, Iroh said quietly, "I will."

"Well," Bumi said, slapping his knees for effect, "That conversation was invigorating. I think you're unblocked."

"Let's do this," Iroh said, but his dull tone let his true feelings show.

"Close your eyes, sit up straight, and count your breath," Bumi said.

After some time Iroh drifted out of consciousness. Nothingness, haze, and eventually figures came through. He saw a group on a battlefield, an older man under a white banner, and a giant ball of fire break through the walls of a great city.

The blast woke him up, and he found himself alone, still sitting in the lotus position. In his lap was a small pouch. On the ground in front of him Bumi had written into the soil 'We'll be in touch.'

Inside the pouch was a White Lotus tile.

* * *

A/N: As a woman I feel kinda bad for having him just outright say to her face that he knows she's preggers (side note-proper time to ask a woman if she's pregnant: never), but I'll get over it…


	5. Epilogue

A/N: Very important...when I first came to this site (a loooong time ago), it was good manners to REVIEW a story when you put it on a watch/favorite list, even if it's just a few words. Watching a story without reviewing is like a drive-by shooting, we don't know what happened, it just leaves behind confusion. Did you like the story? So please, please, PLEASE review...

Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master.  
-Albert Einstein

* * *

The Throne Room was stuffy with incense and heat. Iroh stood in between his father and a young woman, facing a large crowd of officers and politicians; while waiting for everyone to file in, the Prince started taking mental notes as to how he would change the décor when he took power. His father spoke, interrupting his mental decorating.

"Your Prince has returned from the colonies!" Fire Lord Azulon's voice boomed over the crowd, "With the wife that is now carrying his child!"

A set of applause broke out from the pack, and Iroh smiled. He looked over at Zhi, who smiled back while rubbing her expanding belly.

"And since he is carrying on the great lineage of our nation," Azulon carried on, "I am promoting him to General." The crowd roared with applause again.

"My first act as General," Iroh said, "carrying on tradition, is to go after the last dragon."

After the small ceremony the crowd dispersed. Iroh and Zhi left as quickly as allowed; she turned the corner to head to their room, but he grabbed her hand.

"That was fun," Zhi said, rolling her eyes.

"Fun is late night pastries," Iroh pulled her towards the kitchen.

When they got to the servant's kitchen, Iroh pulled out a chair for her.

"The Earth Kingdom could leave a trail for you, you'd be too distracted to fight." She sat and grabbed for the plate the head chef left out.

"You've found the Fire Nation's one weakness," Iroh laughed, grabbing for a tart, "Our sweet-tooth."

"Are you really going to destroy something that's part of your culture?" She asked, turning serious.

"It's become tradition," He knit his brow, "They say it's a test of strength."

"Why would you go after it?" She started crying, and he immediately grabbed her hand.

"Killing such a creature is not my intent," He said softly.

"Really?" She asked through teary eyes.

"No," He said stroking her hand. "You're right, it's part of my history."

"What will you tell your father?" She was still sniffling, but had calmed down. He shook his head and sighed.

"I don't think he'll understand that strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." He smiled. "I'll go, then come back with an old scale and a story. No one else has to know."


End file.
